The Opelousas courier., 1887-08-06
Prohibition.


This is a truism-no argument Is needed
to establish the fact that the practice of
drinking them is wholly unnecessary. useless
and dangerous. But, l whnld respectfully
invite attention to some Of the many eviden-
ces of the fact, that may have escaped the
consideration of some people.
In the first place, all Intoxicating liquors
are poisons-emphaticall poisons, and dan
gerous and deadly ones at that. WeDsters
definition of poison 49, ''any substance
which introduced into the animal organism is
capable of producing morbid. noxious or dead
ly effects upon it," And he continues on de-
ffning it to be. "that which taints, or destroys
moral purity or health as the poison OF evil
example" for instance. If the great lexleo-
grapher had had the Intoxicating liquors es.
pecially in view, he could hardly have suited
the definition to them better-more polntedly
and forcibly. Now morbid" means, accord
ing to the same author, mot sound and heal
thy; diseased and sickly;n and don't every
body see and know, that the man who drinks
intoxicating liquors becomes "unsOnnd ana
unhealthy, diseased and sickly2 in greater
or less degree, sooner or later, in proportion
as he drinks more or less +? and that everyone
that drinks any, is likely to drink more and
that nearly all of those, who do drink at all,
do drink more and more, until they are rend.
ed "unsound and unhealthy, Diseased and
sickly" by them Some men can stand more
of these poisons than others-hold out longer
under their killing effects. But how many, OF
every mans own acquaintance even has he
known, beyond doubt, to have become "un-
sound and unhealthy, diseased and slckiy,"
and even died outright from drinking intoxl-
eating liquor2 Then is that not proof enough
that they are physical "poisons2" And the
other word "noxious," which Webster (who
is the standard authority, recoliectl uses to
define poison, means he says "harmfui, hurt
ful; and corrupting to morals" as "no9lons
practices and example, for instance nobody
will deny that the morally impure atmosphere
of drinking saloons, loaded thick with the
corrupting Influences of evil practices and bad
examples "taints, or destroys moral purity
and health" of principles and character. Then,
is not the further dreadful fact established,
that the very atmosphere OF drinking saloons
is terrible "poison" to the morals OF all VINO
breathe it9 Why don't ladies visit drinking
saloons as thew do other bazars2 And what
would be thought of one that didf What man
| is there that don't dread for his own SON to
visit such corrupting haunts of lmmoralty,
| and ruin Who don't know that their pane
| full influences have sullied the lovely purity;
debauched the noble character, and blasted
| the fair prospects of millions of promising
| youth! Then. in the name of God and human
| ityi would ask, why hesitate to prohibit the
| sale of these Intoxicating poisions, and des.
troy forever from the face of the earth all
those numerous and dangerous pitfalls, into
| which so many millions of people are contln-
l
ruined believe nine out of ten OF the Peo-
pIe are in favor of Prohibition, since they
| have come to take a second, sober thought.
| Even those who sell Intoxicating liquors., as
well as those who drink-even the hardest
| in the country are begging to have these un-
necessary, wasteful and ruinous poisOns put
out of their reach. They say land it is sadly
too true) they have INDUCED in these enticlng
and subtle poisons until their seif-eontroi anG
will-power have been SO entirely destroyed
by them, that now they can not resist the
Temptation to drink them, as long as they
are set out before them on every side, and al
every turn in their road, while they see plain
ly and feel sensibly that they are being rum
ed in every way by this worst of all evils sas
it is the origin and source OF nearly every
evil they have waded in beyond their depth
and, without help, must tdrown-inevitabiy
Wili St. Landry mot rally mantully to thu
help of these unfortunate men, on the
9th of December next, and rescue them, will
their suffering and implOring wives; and o.
the same time save the youth, the future hop'
of the country, from Generalization; and SO
ciety at large from anarchy and utter rum
hv Erohibiting the future sale of these insidi
GUS anil destructive pois0nsg Let us hope tina
: the parish will rally to aman for the salvation
of it's poison stricken, suffering and dying pee
pie. If there be any ones who has sucn gnaW
! ing greed of gain, that he had rather contlnu
ON selling these "poisons,n if every nlckle tina
drops into his till be gored all over with tn
blood of it's murdered victims, and drlppin
wet with the tears of abused wives and hul
gry children, let it be hoped that the last on
will take q better view of this really serlou
and very important matter, and ABANDON tina
nernieious business for something better
E 6 otherwise his eyil-gotton gains will be sur
! to turn to ashes; and worse than that.
NAV have children ruined by the allurlng po
!. son, aud then, when it is too late, he Woui
= : give his last cent to retrieve his lost BOY
= Better stop before every thing that Is dea
: and sacred be swallowed up in this grea
Maelstrom Those men, engaged In seliln
these demoralizing and destructive poison
2 2 are not all as bad men, as their business,
l iniurious to society, might indicate. 1 kno
some of them to be kind-hearted and benev
!. lent, and we'll meaning men. But the INN
= ence of example is wonderful: MOST OF ps
= ple are apt to think that whatever the muli
tude does can't be wrong; at least not
: much SO, that they may not do likeWis
}. Whereas, it is the multitude that does wron
and only few that don't. Christ said, WHIT
I i he was on earth, broad ia the way, and Wit
: : is the gate, that leadeth TO destruction, aI
. manv there be, that GO ii thereat; and ma
. row is the way, and straight is the gate, tn
y leadeth unto life, and few there be that III
it.n The whiskey seller has reasoned hll
~ self into it about thussas long as it is llcer
10 ed at all, somebody wilt sell it, and the pc
- pie will drink it; and had as well ma
70 money out of it as any body else, and SO
,o : had-one man has just as much right 10 p
!, : son his neighbor as another. But ongnt az
!, one to do 80 Has any one the moral right
" do so9 legal license can't convert moi
= = wrong into moral right. In some countr
~ the laws license certain classes TO oppre
!, :. certain others; but does that make Inc
u y preston right Or ought opPressl
q therefore to be practiced Heath
~ tribes tolerate the killing of deformed or 81
~ ~ " infants and aged and infrm parents